Jumbo-Visma stalwart Koen Bouwman has long been considered a key team player, something he is more than comfortable with as he enters his 9th season with the side.
“There are many things where we are on the same page," the 29-year-old tells Wielerflits. However, this does not mean that his own personal goals are gone, far from it in fact. "We think differently about a few small things. Of course I have ambitions myself. But I am also the one in the team who can put that aside most easily and drive for our leader. With so many leaders within Jumbo-Visma , they really need riders who can do what I can.”
When Bouwman is allowed to shine within the confines of the Jumbo-Visma machine, as happened in the 2022 Giro d'Italia, great things can happen. "The evening before the Etna stage I felt so good that during a meeting with the team management I asked what I should do if the three leaders were released early and I still felt good."
"Whether I had to wait to see if I could ride my own course for that day," he says. "When I feel good, I say that for a reason. I will always figure myself out. But if I say I'm good, then I really am. During the ride itself, I simply waited for the leaders, as discussed and instructed.”
“At one point I met Merijn for an hour on the service course. That became two and a half hours, but that was only positive. That was great for me, I would never have had these kinds of conversations before," continues Bouwman. "We know that it is not only in my own interest, but also in the team's interest, if I can stick my neck out for once. They will listen faster. But again, we shouldn't make it more exciting than it is. Those conversations were super valuable.”
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